I earned my first (and only) D grades in Spanish and Math when I was in middle school. I remember enjoying learning both subjects, but there were just too many exciting things happening in my middle school life to keep focused on turning in every assignment. After racking up a few zeros in homework and a few failed quizzes, it was nearly impossible to average my way out of the D range. Both of those classes left me with little interest in really trying to raise my grade. Both of my parents were teachers and they were able to help me improve my performance in subsequent classes.
In a Standards-Based Grading (SBG) system a student's understanding and knowledge is evaluated more fairly than the quantity of homework or success on quizzes. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.
When most of us were in school, an A was just an A and everyone knew what an A, an A+, or an A- meant. Earning a B grade, in a letter-based grading system was still above average.
The biggest confusion that I see is when a parent appears to celebrate a 'B' on their child's report card. While it makes me want to scream, I realize that many parents may not have been exposed to our grading system before. Scoring a B, which stands for Basic, is definitely not above average. This is made more confusing because the A (Advanced) in SBG and an A in a letter-based grading system appear to be similar. But after Advanced, this is where the comparison of the two grading systems really becomes impossible.
The California State Content Standards are the basis for our SBG. In order to be Advanced, a student must be able to demonstrate that they have advanced knowledge of the standard. Turning in extra assignments or earning more points can't make them Advanced, but being able to know and demonstrate their understanding can. A description of each performance level is usually measured by a description called a rubric. Teachers use the rubrics to compare the students' work to the standards that the assignment measures.
Our school district has been using SBG for about 10 years, but with every new parent who arrives, it is important to revisit why we use them and what they mean. Parents will be able to review and discuss the first trimester report cards during the Parent-Teacher conferences scheduled for November 19 and 20.
Make a point to always know if your child is Proficient (or above) in Math and Language Arts. If students don't meet the Proficiency bar every year, they are not on track for graduating from high school. For this reason, we must not be content until every child is Proficient or Advanced for their grade level.
Although I never was an outstanding Spanish student in high school, I found a purpose in studying Spanish in college; I lived in Honduras for two years, and I later became a Spanish teacher. How can we help every student find a purpose in their learning that will motivate them to become Proficient or Advanced?
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